


Worth Starting a War?

by HisWarrior



Series: One of Two Ways [1]
Category: Chris Barnett - Fandom, Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms, Original Work, TikTok Trend - Fandom
Genre: @thechrisbarnett, Chris Barnett, F/M, Falling In Love, King - Freeform, Love, Mentions of Rape, Royal life, Royalty, TikTok, TikTok trend, acting challenge, bastard name used, denying love, not explicit, not explicit but its there, royal acting challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:21:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26548921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HisWarrior/pseuds/HisWarrior
Summary: Somehow, some way, I had the most powerful man in the kingdom at my mercy.But I could not, would not, ruin him.
Series: One of Two Ways [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1935394





	Worth Starting a War?

“We can’t.”

His eyes, his beautiful storm grey eyes, bore into mine as though I had struck him.

Which was far more true than I could have ever believed imaginable.

“Surely you don’t mean that,” he whispered, never glancing away from my face. His voice trembled, a startling contrast to the deep timbre of his voice.

He turned, facing the guards that had escorted me to him. 

“Leave us,” he ordered. The tone of his voice did not give way to questions, but still, the pair hesitated. Leaving the king alone with myself could lead to even greater rumors than had already sprung between us. His loyal guards knew this, better than I myself.

And I had no wish to bring my king more trouble than he already faced.

I shook my head, trying to convey, silently pleading with them, not to leave me alone with this man whom I had foolishly fallen in love with.

But neither guard’s eyes were on me. No; they looked only at their king. And something in his face must have changed, for the pair immediately turned to the door and made their escape.

Oh, if only I could do so.

He turned back to me, and I nearly stumbled back at the raw emotion in his face. Of what he suddenly allowed himself to show me. 

But I couldn’t do this to him. I couldn’t.

“Why me?” I asked suddenly, surprising even myself with the question. Because I hadn’t meant to ask it. I knew well enough why he chose me, and I couldn’t bear to hear him tell me now. 

“Choose a bride that won’t start a war,” I continued, trying in failure to amend the mistake of my previous words. 

But it was too late.

“From the moment I first saw you I was transfixed,” he answered. The brokenness in his voice made my heart ache. “This stunning, beautiful creature had the most powerful man in the kingdom at her mercy.”

_No, no, no. Please my dearest, don’t._

“You could have far greater beauties,” I countered, my voice wavering. If this continued, I would lose my resolve. And I could not risk that. I cursed my image, cursed his eyes, cursed our fates. 

If only he were not the king.

“No,” he whispered.

If only I were not a bastard.

“Yes,” I argued. He had to see the truth. The fate of his kingdom depended upon it.

“Your beauty is not of earth nor heaven,” he declared. “It’s something all of its own.”

Though his words seemed trivial to any who might have listened, I knew the depth and truth of the declarations he spoke. How much he appreciated my kindness and respect. How dearly he enjoyed the wit and petty banters between us. How he valued my words and input in matters he felt he could entrust to no one else.

And it broke my heart.

“Is wedding me truly worth starting a war?” 

My words were said in a whisper. But I said them without faltering. 

Because it was the truth. If we wed, there would be war. Civil war within his own kingdom.

My father, a duke of a small host of villages, was not a kind or a good man. He had taken my mother, a kitchen maid, for himself one evening, and had his way with her. I had been the result of his sins, and he had disowned me and thrown out my mother without a seconds’ pause. But fate had been kind to me somehow. Though I would lose both parents in the process, my father’s death freed his wife to do a kindness to my mother. The duchess had taken me in as her own, and treated me as if I were her flesh and blood. 

I had known my place, and accepted it. I knew that with the duchess’ kindness, I could be better married than I had been before her involvement. But I could not, should not even attempt, to rise above my station. My birth had sealed such a fate.

I had not chosen my fate; my love knew this. But I would serve the punishment for my father’s foolishness. Even to the sacrifice of my heart.

And now, my king faced me, his eyes telling me words that I silently begged that he would not say.

My pleas were ignored.

“I love you,” he said, as if that answered the question. 

“Don’t….”

“I love you against hope,” he continued, pushing through my arguments. He stepped forward, and grabbed me around my waist. “Against reason. Against peace.”

He stroked my face, his gentleness warming my heart. I could feel the calluses he bore from long hours not only with the sword, but also with the hoe and the plow. 

He was a good man. A kind king. One who knelt in the dirt and worked with his people; who didn’t just sit and take the bounty that had been given him.

And I would be his ruin.

I had to stop this. I had to stop this now.

“You are a mad, foolish king,” I stated, pushing against his chest. 

He only drew me closer, cupping my neck and meeting his lips to my own.

My heart nearly burst. A mixture of pain, agony, and complete elation swept over me. 

His lips were warm and gentle against mine, tasting of earth and crisp apples. 

And all too soon, we drew back. And I knew, I knew, that I would not be able to rely on his strength. Somehow, some way, his words were true. I had the most powerful man in the kingdom at my mercy. 

“Perhaps,” he whispered, his warm breath brushing against my face. “But I am your foolish king. You will be my wife, and you will be my queen.”

I had no more energy to deny him. Not when he held me so close, his heart beating warm and strong beneath my fingers. 

But my resolve had only strengthened. Now, more than ever before, I must protect him. I must break both of our hearts. I must deny him this one thing he asked of me.

I allowed myself a few more moments, holding each more precious than the last. Because, once this was over, I would vanish. 

And my dear king; my darling, and my love. He would be safe from me.

**Author's Note:**

> Chris Barnett started this trend on TikTok; and I found it on Instagram. The second I saw it, I knew I had to write it. 
> 
> All credit goes to him for starting this! All the dialogue bits are directly from his Royal Acting Challenge video. I just put the filler in.
> 
> Should this story be longer? Please comment and let me know.
> 
> If Chris Barnett sees this, would he like to see more? Or would he do more royal acting challenges for me to then write?


End file.
